Puyang Introduction

Situated northeast of Henan Province o­n the Yellow River bank, Puyang has an area of 4188 km² and a population of 3.5million. It borders Hebei Province in the north, Anyang in the west and Xinxiang in the southwest. Divided by the Yellow River, it faces Shandong Province o­n the east and south. There are five counties and o­ne district under its administration. Affected by the south-east Asian monsoon circulation around the year and located in the mid-latitude region, the city is categorized as the warm temperate continental monsoon climate which features clearly demarcated seasons. In spring, it is usually dry, windy and sandy. High temperatures and heavy rainfall mark the whole summer. In autumn there are plenty of sunny days as well as long periods of sunshine. In winter, it is characterized by less snow and rainfall. The adequate sunshine meets the needs for crops growing.. Puyang, a city exuberant with personality and glamour, is like a gem shining bright in the Central Plains. A time-honored city in Henan Province, Puyang abounds with its historical and cultural heritage, and is widely acclaimed as o­ne of the birthplaces of the Chinese nation. The Book of o­ngs, the earliest collection of verses in China, has devoted many poems to depicting the busy scenes of the countryside. In history, a myriad of figures have emerged from Puyang, which lends great glory to this place of simple folkways. Among them are Cang Xie, the inventor of Chinese characters, Wu Qi, a military strategist, Shang Yang, a statesman, Lv Buwei, a great thinker, to name o­nly a few. Puyang is also a renowned ancient battlefield where a lot of major events and wars had occurred. In 1987, a historical relic, made up of a series of clams arranged in dragon patterns, was unearthed. The valuable discovery, which could be dated back to more than 6,400 years ago, had pushed forward the history of Chinese civilization for over 1,400 years, and therefore earned itself an international reputation of “the First Dragon of China”. The Chinese Yanhuang Culture Researching Association has accordingly named Puyang “the Hometown of Chinese Dragons”. Abundant heritage along with a long history has endowed Puyang with plenty of tourism resources, which is certainly of great investment value. Puyang is a petrol-chemical city. The major mineral resources include petroleum, natural gas, coal, etc. especially rich reserve of high-quality petroleum and natural gas. As an important national petrol-chemical energy base, large-sized enterprises such as Zhongyuan Oilfield, China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation, Zhongyuan Dahua Group and so o­n have been established there. The petrol-chemical industry has become the support of Puyang’s economy.

Puyang Traffic

Railway：Puyang does not have a railway station, tourists can draw suport from Anyang or Hebi railway station.Highway：There is Line 106 across the south and north and highway between Henan and Shandong Province across the east and west within country’s borders. From Puyang station,you can reach Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Xi'an, Wuhan, Nanjing, Jinan and other large and medium-sized cities.Public busPuyang opens 18 public bus lines , of which the line 5 ,8,12,19,22,31 pass through the coach.TaxiThe starting price of Taxi in Puyang is 5 yuan for the first 3 kilometres, and the journey charge is 1 yuan per km.

Puyang Festivals

Qingming festival : It is o­ne of the 24 seasonal division points in China, falling o­n April 4-6 each year. The Qingming festival is a festival of commemoriation . this is the most important day of sacrifice . Both the Han and minority ethnic groups at this time offer sacrifices to their ancestors and sweep the tombs of the diseased.Chongyang festival: The 9th day of the 9th lunar month is the traditional Chongyang festival. It usually falls in October in the Gregorian calendar.Enjoying the flourishing chrysanthemum becomes a key activity o­n the festival. Also , people will drink chrysanthemum wine. Women used to stick such a flower into their hair or hang its branches o­n windows or doors to avoid evilness.The Dragon Boat Festival :The Dragon Boat Festival, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, has had a history of more than 2,000 years. It is usually in June in the Gregorian calendar. Zongzi is an essential food of the Dragon Boat Festival. It is said that people ate them in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). In early times, it was o­nly glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in reed or other plant leaves and tied with colored thread, but now the fillings are more diversified, including jujube and bean paste, fresh meat, and ham and egg yolk. If time permits, people will soak glutinous rice, wash reed leaves and wrap up zongzi themselves. Otherwise, they will go to shops to buy whatever stuff they want. The custom of eating zongzi is now popular in North and South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian nations.On Dragon Boat Festival, parents also need to dress their children up with a perfume pouch. They first sew little bags with colorful silk cloth, then fill the bags with perfumes or herbal medicines, and finally string them with silk threads. The perfume pouch will be hung around the neck or tied to the front of a garment as an ornament. They are said to be able to ward off evil.The Lantern Festival: When we arrived at Puyang, it was the 15th day of the first lunar month--Yuanxiao Jie, known as the lantern Festival. Each year, there is an exhibition of coloured lanterns at night. Every family hangs red lanterns over their gates. Children carry all kinds of coloured laternns and in streets and squares, coloured lantern sheds are built for lantern exhibition. Everyone goes out to see the lanterns. The city of Quanzhou in southern Fujian is shaped like a carp. The main street, five kilometres in length, runs across the city. o­n the eve of the Lantern Festival, thousands of colourful lanterns decorate the buildings along the street.